Joint works by L.S. Lowry and Harold Riley collected by top 70s football manager for sale at Bonhams

Three figures with ball in oilstick and pencil is estimated to sell for £5,000-7,000. Photo: Bonhams.

LONDON.- Three unusual hybrid works by L. S. Lowry and Harold Riley acquired directly from Riley by Dave Sexton, the Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea and Manchester United manager in the 1970s, feature in Bonhams Modern British and Irish Art sale on November 20th in New Bond Street. Dave Sexton died last year.

Harold Riley was an artist friend of L.S. Lowry and a number of paintings and drawings were completed by both hands as Lowry took him under his wing. Rather like two footballers passing the ball back and forth between them as they move forward these works have the charm and interest of an association of two artists engaged in the same game.

These pictures can achieve tens of thousands of pounds at auction, says Matthew Bradbury, Head of Modern British and Irish art department at Bonhams. Among the joint works by Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A. (British, 1887-1976), and Harold Riley (British, 1934) in this sale is a work titled Street scene, oil on board, it is estimated to sell for £30,000-50,000.

Others include Three figures with ball in oilstick and pencil, it is estimated to sell for £5,000-7,000. Another is titled Street scene with clocktower signed with initials and dated 'LSL 61' (lower left), signed with initials 'HR.'(lower right). A work in graphite it is estimated at £8,000-12,000.

Riley had been a talented young footballer but rejected a football career in favour of art, but leading footballers were among his subjects. He also painted commissioned portraits of American President, John F. Kennedy, HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, HRH Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, His Holiness Pope Paul, and the conductor Sir John Barbirolli. His works are found today in public and private collections round the world.